Steam-boiler



(N0 Modl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

J.E.GULVER.

STEAM BOILER. No. 550,254. Patented Nov. 26,1895

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ANDREW B GRAHAM PHOTD-LiTHO.WASNINGI'ON 0C 2Shets-Sheet 2.

J. E. OULVER.

(No Model.)

STEAM BOILER.

No. 550,254. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH EDWVIN CULVER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWV JERSEY.

STEAM BOlLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,254, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed May 15, 1894. Serial No. 511,384.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, J os PH EDWIN OULVER, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a steam boiler which shall embody great strength, durability, simplicity of parts, and compactness of structure, and which shall be capable of operating economically and of developing great power with safety, and which shall be easily manageable.

I will first describe my invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out its novelty in claims.

Figure 1 represents a central vertical'section of a steam-boiler embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section in the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section taken in the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a foundation or base of masonry or other material, level horizontally, upon which the boiler is supported, and which may be and is represented as of circular form with a segment cut vertically out of the front wall and also with a central vertical excavation I), broad enough to receive the fire-grate of the furnace and deep enough for the ashpit. The outward extension of the ash-pit is continuous with the central excavation b, and both have the same transverse and vertical measurement. The entrance to the ash-pit is closed bya door b of suitable construction. There is erected upon the margin of the foundation which incloses the ash-pit the semicircular rear wall and the parallel side walls of the upright fire-chamber B, which may be built entirely of fire-brick with or without interlocking T-irons, or may be of iron or steel lined with fire-brick, and which is open at top. At the bottom of the fire-chamber there is secured to the base A the frame of a firegrate 0, upon which iron grate-bars, preferably withproj ectin g fingers, rest side by side. These bars extend from the rear to and through thefront of the furnace, and they can be operated by a shaker-bar.

Adjusted concentrically upon the foundation A and surrounding the lower part of the fire-chamber B is an annular water-chamber D, composed of two short upright cylinders c c, an annular sole-plate d, and an upper annular plate 6, which constitutes a tubesheet and which receives the lower ends of upright water-tubes f. The inner cylinder 0' is irregularly circular within and isflanged inwardly and its flanges come close to the exterior walls of the fire-chamber B. The outer cylinder 0 is circular and is flanged outwardly. The annular plates d and e are of such inner and outer circumference as to include the circumferences of the flanges of the cylinders c c, to which they are riveted.

It is obvious that the cylinders c 0 might be made without flanges and be united with the annular plates (1 and e by means of angleirons and rivets. The inner cylinder 0 follows, as shown in Fig. 2, a line parallel to and just outside the furnace-wall and approaches the cylinder a, narrowing the water-chamber on either hand until it turns across the front of the furnace-wall and bridges over the cut I) in the foundation. ber forms the furnace-front between the furnace-door and the ash-pit.

Within the water-chamber D is an upright transverse partition 6 (see Fig. 2) to divide the current of the water in said chamber. On one side of this partition is arranged the feedtube 9, by which the boiler is supplied with water and on the other side is arranged the blow-off h. I v

Some distance above the top of the firechamber is arranged a circular horizontal plate E, the outer circumference of which corresponds with that of the lower tube-sheet e, and which constitutes the upper tube-sheet for the tubes f, and also constitutes a crownplate to the fire-chamber. The tubes f f, the

upper and lower ends of which are expanded or otherwise secured in their respective tubesheets 6 E, are preferably arranged in an an nular group in several concentric circles, the space occupied by the furnace beingwithout such tubes.

On the crown-plate E is erected the cylinder F, which combines with the said plate E to constitute the upper water-chamber and part of the steam chamber of the boiler. This cylinder is united with the crown-plate by flanges or angle-irons and rivets. The said cylinder has a dome-like top F,on which there is represented a turret or steam-drum G, whence is the steam-pipe connectioni. This turret may be dispensed with and the cylin- Thus the water-chamder F carried up to a greater height. As the boiling of the water in this chamber may be violent, it should be sufficiently high for the upper strata of the steam therein to become dry.

It will be understood by reference to Fig. 1 that there is a lateral opening between the upper edges of the walls of the fire-chamber B and the plate E, which forms the bottom of the upper water and steam chamber.

An accessory water-reservoir D, connected with the water a chamber D beneath, completes the front of the fire-chamber from side to side above the furnace-door, extending thence upward nearly to the height of the top of the fire-chamber wall and back to the perimeter of the untubed circular space beneath the crown-sheet. It is constructed of steel, iron, or other metal, and has an outward flange around its upper horizontal border, to which a tube-sheet d is riveted or bolted. Into this tube sheet the lower ends of short water-tubes f are expanded, the upper ends of said tubes being expanded into the crownsheet E above. voir D thus forming part of the Wall of the fire-chamber is full of water at all times when the boiler is in use, being supplied from the lower reservoir D by elbowed tubes D which form communication between the lower part of the said reservoir D and the bottom of the said accessoryreservoirD, the said tubes passing through the fire-chamber close to the sides thereof.

Outside of the outer circle of water-tubes f there are arranged at suitable distances apart for holding the upper and lower tubesheets in parallel planes, a suitable number of upright shouldered stays j, the shoulders of which are at a distance corresponding to two tube-sheets and the ends of which pass through the tube-sheets and the flanges of the cylinders c and F, and are screw-threaded to receive nuts it. These stays add strength to the boiler and serve to hold the tubesheets in immovable relation to each other while the numerous tubes are being expanded into them. Vithin the inner circle of watertubes f there are arranged upright stays Z, which are shouldered at their lower ends against the inner margin of the lower waterehamber D and secured thereto by nuts, the upper ends of these stays being secured to lugs m, welded or otherwise secured in the upper tube-sheet or crown-plate E. Between the untubed central portion of the upper tube-sheet or crown-plate E and the domelike top F of the cylinder F are arranged another series of upright stays at, the upper and lower ends of which are secured to antipodal lugs o p, welded or otherwise secured to the said plate E and dome F. Upright stays q are also provided between the soleplate (I of the lower water-chamber and the dome F, the said stays passing through certain of the tubes f and their ends being attached to lugs which are welded or otherwise The accessory water-resersecured into the said sole-plate and dome, and still other upright stays to are prox ided between the bottom of the accessory reservoir D and the dome F, these latter stays passing through certain of the short Watertubes f.

His a cylindrical jacket or casin g consisting of an upright cylinder of a diameter large enough to include the lower water-chamber D, the water-tubes f, and cylinder F, with a space outside of the said chamber, tubes, and cylinder. This casing is supported 011 the base A or boiler foundation with which it has a water-tight connection and it is of a height just above the dome F and is closed at the top. The said cylinder may be made of sheetiron, protected by any effectual non-conduetor of heatas, for instance, a lining of asbestos. To facilitate its removal it may be built in sections. This casing forms a hot closet around the steamchamber, converts the tube-space into a reverberatory, forms a downdraft annular smokeway L outside of the tubes and below the fire-chamber, and beneath the tube-space on either side makes a right and left smokeway L with a confluence in common into the smoke-stack I. In the front of this casing H, between the waterchamber beneath and the accessory reservoir above, there is a fire-door opening whence a rectangular tube or chute J of heavy sheet metal extends into the front of the fire-chamber B. At the outer end of this tube or chute J there is a fire-door K.

The spatial circle L between the exterior surface of the lower water-chamber D and the bottom part of the casing II is the sm okeway, from which there is an outlet both from the right and left through an opening r in the casing II on the opposite side to the firedoor. The said outlet 7" communicates with the smoke-box M, which is offset outwardly from the said smokeway, and in the top of which is an opening to the smoke-stack I, which is erected on the said box. Above the said outlet 0 the space L between the lower water space and casing is covered by a plate 1", Figs. 1 and 3, which is long enough to compel the gases to be distributed broadly through the tube-space before they can reach the said outlet. In order to secure a direct draft while kindling the fire until a steampressure shall have been obtained, a short flue I connects the upper part of the casing with the smoke-stack. This branch flue is fitted with a damper-valve or sliding door N, which may be opened and closed, as required. Below the base of the smoke-stack a smokeejector is arranged to aim outwardly along the central line of the stack. This ejector consists of an inverted funnel-shaped tube .9, supported on lugs s on the base A and fitted with a central steam-j et pipe i, through which steam under pressure is driven forcibly, carrying with it from the smokeway and out through the smoke-stack volumes of smoke and spent gaseous products of combustion.

While this ejector is in use the direct draft at the top of the boiler is closed by the valve or damper N. I

To provide for the admission of workmen into the chamber F for repairs and for the hoisting out and in of water-tubes and their expansion into the crown-sheet E, the steamturret G may be secured to the top of the chamber by bolts and nuts, which permit the unfastening and removal of the said turret.

The lower tube-sheet e constituting the top of the lower water-chamber D, may be secured to the cylinders c '0 thereof by bolts and nuts, the unfastening of which will permit the detached upper part of the boiler to be raised by hydraulic lifts sufficiently to permit the removal of the damaged tubes and the insertion and expansion of new ones.

This boiler is intended to be supplied with water up to a few inches above the crownsheet E. To start the operation, fire is made in the fire-chamberB, and the valve or damper N is kept open until the water boils and enough steam-pressure is developed for operating the ejector 2E. The valve or damper N is then closed and the valve of the ejector opened to produce an active draft from the smokeway L through the smoke-box M to the chimney. The radiant heat from the fuel strikes the tube-sheet E and also the upper parts of the tubes f, and there is also radiation from the outside of the fire-chamber among the lower parts of the tubes. The flames which strike the upper tube-sheet are reverberated among the tubes and the gaseous products of combustion circulate actively both in contact with the tube-sheet and outward and downward among and between the tubes against the interior of the casing to the smokeway L, and thence to the chimney, the casing at the same time acting to secure the reverberatory draft adown the tubes. Some of the gaseous products will be retained in less active circulation within the upper part of the casing and around the upper chamber F and turret G, and will therein serve to dry the steam in the upper part of the said chamber and in the turret. An active generation of steam is thus produced in the tubes f and over the tube-sheet e, accompanied by a free upward circulation of water from the chamber D through the tubes f and into the chamber F.

WVhat I claim as my invention is 1. In asteam boiler, the combination of a lower annular water chamber, an upper cylindrical water and steam chamber, a fire chamber the lower part of which is surrounded by the said lower water chamber and the walls of which project above the latterchamber with a lateral opening between their upper edges and the bottom of the upper water and steam chamber, upright water tubes arranged around and outside of the walls of the fire chamber and connecting the lower water chamber with the bottom of the upper water and steam chamber, the central portion of the said bottom which is situated over the fire chamber being untubed and constituting a crown sheet to the fire chamber, a casing surrounding said water chamber and said water and steam chamber and said tubes and having an outlet at the bottom and constituting an annular down draft smokeway between and around the said tubes and the walls of the fire chamber, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination with the lower water chamber D, the fire chamber B having its lower part surrounded by said water chamber but having its walls projecting above said water chamber and having a feed opening in the so projecting walls, and the upper chamber F for water and steam which is situated over the fire chamber and the lower portion of which is a crown sheet to the fire chamber, of the accessory water reservoir D forming part of the wall of the front of the fire chamber above the feed opening, water tubes D connecting the lower part of said accessory water reservoir with said lower chamber D and water tubes f connecting the upper part of said accessory reservoir D with the lower part of said upper chamber, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The annular water chamber constructed as described of two flanged cylinders c c, an annular sole-plate d to which the flanges of said cylinders are united at the bottom, an annular tube-sheet e to which the flanges of the said two cylinders are united at the top and a transverse partition 2 between said cylinders, substantially as herein set forth.

4:. The combination with the lower annular water chamber the top of which is a tube sheet, the upper cylindrical water and steam chamber the bottom of which is a tube-sheet, and the tubes fitted to said tube-sheets and forming communication between said chambers, of the shouldered stay bolts j abutting against the two tube-sheets and fastened at their ends respectively to said tube-sheets and chambers, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination of a lower water chamberof complete annular form in which are a feed inlet and a blowoff outlet separated by a transverse partition, an upper water andsteam chamber, upright water tubes connecting said two chambers, a central fire chamber which is surrounded by said tubes and the lower part of which is within and surrounded by said lower water chamber, a casing inclosing said upper and lower chambers and a surrounding space which constitutes a down draft smoke-way, a smoke-box in communication with that part of said casing which surrounds said lower water chamber and a smoke-stack on said smoke-box; all substantially as herein set forth.

FREDK. HAYNES, IRENE B. DECKER. 

